Displaying items by tag: Biomass

Spain: Cementos Portland Valderrivas has announced plans to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its 1.6Mt/yr integrated Alcalá de Guadaíra cement plant in Andalusia by 40% through the substitution of biomass for coal in its kiln lines. The company said that it regretted the confusion caused by “manipulation of information” around the plans in a local environmental group’s communiqué. It said, “the plant has all the permits and the cement group is looking forward to this new challenge.

UK: Germany-based HeidelbergCement’s subsidiary Hanson Cement will be the subject of a study in the use of biomass and hydrogen fuels coordinated by the Mineral Products Association. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is funding the Euro3.81m study, the results of which it says will be shared across the cement industry. HeidelbergCement CEO Dominik von Achten said, "In addition to our activities in the field of carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS), this project is an important step towards realising our vision of carbon-neutral concrete by 2050.”

Kenya: 58% LafargeHolcim subsidiary Bamburi Cement has set out an ambitious alternative fuel plan. In a statement, it said that it would aim to use 30% biomass-derived fuel in cement kilns at its 1.1Mt/yr integrated Mombasa plant. The figure currently stands at 12%. Municipal waste and tyres were among other fuel sources targeted for substitution. In a first step towards achieving this, Bamburi Cement has signed a supply agreement with the Port of Mombasa for confiscated cargoes.

Since 26 September 2019, Bamburi has received waste fuel oil from Shell petrol stations across Kenya via its subsidiary Geocycle at a rate of 240t/yr. In co-processing the oil, Bamburi is helping dispose of some of the 60,000t of waste petroleum produced in Kenya annually. Afrik21 has reported that, with an expenditure of US$5.8m in 2018, alternative fuel substitution is an attempt by the company to reduce untenable operating costs, notably including electricity costs of US$87/MWh. “Bamburi is looking at more partnerships for the disposal of various types of waste as we work to contribute to environmental conservation as part of our sustainability ambitions,” said Bamburi Cement managing director Seddiq Hassani.

Ethiopia: The Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Chemicals and Construction Inputs Industry Development Institute are working with cement producers to replace imported coal with biomas in a bid to lower carbon CO2 and reduce reliance on foreign currency. The institute has conducted a feasibility study, with the support of the Global Climate Fund and the European Union, studying using a weed, Prophecies Newfora, as potential biomass, according to the Reporter newspaper. Plants run by Dangote Cement and Habesha Cement factories took part in the study. The government is also encouraging cement producers to use locally mined coal until the biomass project becomes fully operational.

Egypt: Suez Cement’s Kattameya plant has started using a 10% waste-derived alternative fuels substitution rate in its main kiln burner. It brings the plant’s total thermal substitution rate up to 25%, in combination with the 15% rate of alternative fuels it already uses in the calciner. The plant’s volume of waste and biomass will double to 75,000t/yr. The subsidiary of HeidelbergCement’s plans to increase its substitution rate to 30% in the future.

Spain: Cementos Alfa, part of Cementos Portland Valderrivas Group, has applied to its local environmental government body to increase its biomass co-processing rate. At present the cement plant in Cantabria is allowed to use up to 150t/day, according to the El Diario Montañés newspaper. The unit also spent Euro9m on energy savings upgrades to the main burner in 2018.

The plant produced around 0.5Mt/yr of cement in 2018 with a production capacity of 1.1Mt/yr. Production is expected to rise to 0.6Mt/yr in 2019.

Spain: Cemex has signed a Euro117m deal with the local government to convert the land used by the Gádor cement plant in Almeria for use by new projects. These will include projects in solar and wind power generation, waste fuel production from plastics and biomass and a new concrete batching plant, according to Teleprensa. The initiative is intended to create around 400 jobs.

The cement producer has also signed a similar agreement for its Lloseta in Baleares. The company announced in mid-October 2018 that it was planning to close the two plants due to reduced demand for cement and mounting European CO₂ emissions regulations.

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has won an award for its açaí stone co-processing project at its Primavera plant in Pará state. It won the atmosphere emissions category at the 14th Brazilian Environmental Awards organised by the American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil. The plant processes 6500t/month of açaí berry stones and it plans to target 10,000t/month. The state of Pará produces around 0.5Mt/yr of açaí stone.

India: The Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) is considering using agricultural biomass as an alternative fuel. It says it is willing to offer support to different state governments to help find a way of delivering biomass directly from fields to cement producers, according to the Times of India newspaper. The CMA says it is offering a solution to the dust pollution caused by crop burning. However, the industry needs to resolves problems with transportation and seasonality. The CMA hopes to contact local governments and organisations to find a solution to these issues in 2019.

Brazil: BNDES, the national development bank, has approved a US$7.4m loan for Votorantim Cimentos to co-process alternative fuels. The funds will be used to adapt the company's industrial units to process industrial waste, tyres and biomass, according to the O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper. The cement producer is preparing to spend US$13.6m towards modifying its plants at Salto de Pirapora in Sao Paulo and Edealina in Goias.